Prevent Child Sexual Abuse by having schools educate children on sexual abuse.

I am Manpreet Singh Bhandari, 42 years male , a victim of child sexual abuse multiple times starting at age of around six. Apart from two men , the rest who sexually abused him were known to me. My deep desire is for a law to be passed in India that requires children to be educated in schools about sexual abuse in a child-friendly manner for the purpose of informing and protecting children. Children who are abused especially sexually by known people are often threatened to keep silent or they may not even know it is NOT appropriate.

Many people think their child is safe from sexual predators. Wrong perception.

I realized that families feel that teaching their child about sexual abuse should be a private matter. I completely respect that, but I can tell you from experience that I waited almost 36 years to tell anybody about my sexual abuse. I was terrified and ashamed to tell anybody for fear I might hurt somebody or that my predator might hurt me. Now God is giving me the strength and freedom educate others especially parents and children on child sexual abuse. Healing will take a life-time and the more I speak out and educate people, the closer it brings me to healing. I place my faith and trust in God, the Benevolent One and I reach out to you in that spirit. I would also appreciate your subtle support through meditation, prayers, good wishes and blessings. Most importantly understand how serious it is.

Please sign the petition for the sake of all children who are already affected and could be sexually abused if that challenge is not attended to in time.

If you are not comfortable signing the petition, click on the "like" button so that your Facebook friends can view the petition. Thank you. You may be saving a life with this action. Death is not only leaving the body. It happens when a child loses his/her sense of worth, meaning and purpose in life arising from abuse especially sexual abuse.

Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, by having schools educate children on sexual abuse in a child friendly manner. Let us fight for the bill to be introduced in Indian Parliament. After that er can work at the Central Government level.

The Problem

According to Mos Home affair 53% children including both girls and boys get sexually abused once or more as a child. Another survey says one in every two children being a victim of child sexual abuse. (i.e., rape, sexual dialogue, boyeurism, fondling, touching of the genitals, vaginal, anal or oral rape and forcing children to participate in pornography or prostitution) before their eighteenth birthday. Ninety percent of the time the abuser is someone the child knows. I also initiated a straw poll on Facebook. persons responded and the results were shocking close to other survey reports. 66 of those who took part in poll , 52% men said they were sexually abused as boy child and 48 percent women said they were sexually abused as girl child.

“Despite one in every two children being a victim of child sexual abuse, there continues to be a huge silence. The magnitude of sexual violence against children is unknown,” World Vision India National Director Cherian Thomas said here while launching a campaign to end child sexual abuse and exploitation by 2021.

Currently, there are no programs in schools that educate children in a child-friendly way about what is a good touch and what is a bad touch. Schools don't offer sex education. This petition asks for mandatory sessions about sex education & friendly discussions on child sexual abuse starting at school level.

Proposal

I propose that all Indian School's be required to educate students on sexual abuse. It would require that school boards offer age appropriate curriculum on sexual abuse to students in grades pre-nursery through 12th grade.

The sexual abuse curriculum would include:(1) a clear definition of what constitutes sexual abuse and how to prevent becoming a victim;(2) education beginning with elementary level children (or earlier) on appropriate touches, safe and unsafe touches;(3) education on safe and unsafe secrets with discussion about how predators try to keep sex abuse systems silent;(4) identification of safe people in children's lives they can talk to if someone touches them inappropriately;(5) information to parents, teachers and educators on warning signs of sexual abuse; and (6) next steps for parents who suspect their child may be a sex abuse victim.

(6) schools to educate parents on what children are taught and to share how to look out for signs and symptoms

Why do we need to such a law?

Education in schools is an effective method for preventing children from falling prey to sexual abuse. When a child is sexually abused they are scared, frightened, and don't know what to do. Children who are sexually abused often don't tell anyone they have been sexually abused because they feel ashamed and guilty, they fear that they will anger their perpetrator, or because their perpetrators threaten them to stay quiet and/or convince the child that no one will believe them.

The Indian Education Ministry could come out with the policy, guidelines and general curriculum for students and parents/caregivers/guardians and educators/teachers.

Each school may then adapt, adopt and implement the curriculum addressing sexual abuse of children that may include additional age-appropriate contents for students in pre-nursery through 12th grade; training for school personnel on how to identify child sexual abuse; educational information to parents or guardians on the warning signs of a child being abused, along with any needed assistance, referral, or resource information; available counseling and resources for students affected by sexual abuse; and emotional and educational support for a child of sexual abuse.

It is vital to pass such a law to prevent more children from becoming victims of sexual abuse, so that schools can teach children in a child friendly manner about what is a good touch and a bad touch and when someone touches them in a bad way, that it is never all right, it's not their fault, and that they need to tell a responsible adult.

What you can do to get such a law passed?Please sign the petition to get a child sexual abuse bill introduced at the All India level. When successful, I will work towards having a similar bill introduced at the Central Government Level.